Millbury could be host to slots parlor

Sunday

Jun 30, 2013 at 6:00 AMJun 30, 2013 at 6:06 AM

By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

With the deadline for submitting host community agreements to the state Gaming Commission less than a month off, state Sen. Michael O. Moore said he would support a slots gambling parlor in this Worcester suburb, where a new mall opened in 2004.

The Millbury Democrat said a slots emporium would be a positive economic development move for the region.

“If the host agreement was something that the town supports, and as long as the town was agreeable to it … I wouldn't be opposed to it,” Mr. Moore said.

The lawmaker called a potential gaming facility “an economic development opportunity with 400 to 500 jobs.”

While one casino company looked at the Blackstone Valley town as a possible location about a year ago, Mr. Moore said at least one other gambling company has considered the town. He said he did not know of any specific proposals.

“Millbury has been contacted by several slot parlor” companies, said Mr. Moore, whose district includes seven other towns and the southern half of Worcester.

A $200 million slots proposal by Rush Gaming of Chicago recently fell apart in Worcester, amid community opposition and the failure of the company and city officials to draw up a host agreement.

Voters in Everett on June 23 overwhelmingly approved a proposal by developer Steve Wynn to build a $1.2 billion casino resort in the city.

Mr. Moore said Millbury might be more likely to look more kindly at a slots parlor than Worcester, and noted that the town's commercial tax rate is half that of the city's, which, along with highway access, might make the town more attractive to a developer than Worcester.

“We took Wheelabrator when the city didn't want it,” he said, referring to the trash-to-energy plant on Route 20 in Millbury.

At least one casino company, Penn National Gaming of Pennsylvania, has considered Millbury as a potential location.

Worcester Realtor Joyce O'Connor said she showed Penn a location near Route 146 about a year ago that was assessed at about $90 million, but the company did not pursue the interest.

Charlton landowner Vincent Iuliano said he has shown property he owns near the Massachusetts Turnpike to Penn, Rush Gaming, and the Cordish Cos., another casino operator, as well as to the Hard Rock Café.

If any slots proposal were to move forward in Millbury, or any other community, it would have to move quickly.

Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission, said host agreements must be signed by July 26.

After that, a community referendum would have to be held by Sept. 23, with final applications for the state's single slots-only license due by Oct. 4.

Contact Shaun Sutner at ssutner@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @ssutner.